Vole control: How we’re using hawks in Placer and North Lake Tahoe gets $9M reinvestment in this week’s Placer County newsletter

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Photo of the week This #PlacerLife photo of a vintage truck traveling on I-80 under the Auburn Ravine Bridge was taken by @mac.in.motion on Instagram.  Featured story Vole patrol is on the hunt at Placer County parks Raptor perches located at some of our parks are gaining some attention! The perches give raptors, such as hawks and owls, a vantage point to hunt for pesky field mice that wreak costly havoc on our plants, fields and irrigation systems. 🎙️ Listen: Our Parks, Trails and Open Space Supervisor Matt Williams joins Capital Public Radio’s Insight with Vicki Gonzalez to discuss how the program works. Listen here 👀 Watch: Get a closer look at our raptor perches and learn more about the types of raptors that hunt at some of our parks and trails. Watch here General plan Share your vision: Placer 2050 visioning workshop schedule released Placer County's Community Development Resource Agency is launching a series of in-person and online Placer 2050 General Plan Update visioning workshops beginning Feb. 26. The schedule will include online engagement activities. Read more Flood insurance Don’t wait - protect your property with flood insurance The winter rainy season is here. Don’t wait for the big storm to secure your peace of mind with flood insurance. New policies generally take 30 days to go into effect. Learn how to protect your property. It’s not too late! Read more North Lake Tahoe Over $9 million of TOT funding approved for community projects Our board approved more than $9 million of transient occupancy tax funding for seven projects in North Lake Tahoe last week. The approved projects use tourism funds and fall into three categories: facilities, trails and transportation. Read more Tax season Placer's offering free tax help for eligible individuals and families Get help filing your taxes in 2025! Human Services offers free tax prep through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. This year, taxpayers earning $67,000 or less can get help online or in person across the county. Learn more In other news Our Board of Supervisors meets Tuesday to discuss affordable housing, the Tahoe Basin Area Plan, school-based mental health and more The latest edition of our economic development newsletter details Placer’s unemployment rate, wildfire relief funding and more View upcoming tax deadlines for property owners Did you know? Placer County has the second lowest rate of homelessness among all California counties. This week, county staff - from Health & Human Services to law enforcement - joined partners from other cities and nonprofit organizations to support the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras' annual Point-In-Time count. The local annual count is part of a nationwide effort, required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to assess homelessness by collecting data on individuals and families experiencing unsheltered or sheltered homelessness. The information gathered helps identify community needs, allocate resources and develop strategies to address homelessness effectively. Dozens of volunteers helped with the count, the results of which are expected to be published in late spring. Since 2020, homelessness in Placer has slightly declined, as rates statewide have increased. Last year (2024), there were 702 homeless individuals counted in Placer County – the second lowest rate per capita (17.0 per 10,000) statewide. Of the unsheltered population, 56% were in south Placer, 40% in mid Placer and 3% in eastern Placer. This week in Placer County history On Jan. 27, 1943, Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Riley of Auburn received a letter from their son, Lt. Bob Riley, who was serving in the Army Air Corps as a P-38 combat pilot in North Africa during World War II. In the letter, Riley explained that he had narrowly escaped death in his latest mission. He had taken fire and lost an engine, but was able to keep his damaged craft aloft the two hours it took to return to base. After he landed, the ground crew discovered four high explosive cannon shell holes along with nine 30-caliber holes. His P-38 was determined to be unrepairable and was promptly disassembled for parts to repair other aircraft.  From an excerpt of his letter published in the Jan. 28, 1943, Auburn Journal: “You sure can learn a lot from a scrap like that though, and let me tell you, it will be a long cold day in July before they catch me like that again. So don’t worry about that. I’ve lived through the worst stages, so I’ve (got) a darn good chance for the rest.” Bob Riley was a graduate of both Placer High School and Placer Junior College (now Sierra College). He flew 53 combat missions over North Africa and Europe during World War II. He remained in the Air Force after it was officially established in 1947 from the former Army Air Corps and began flying fighter jets. He retired from the Air Force in the 1960s as a lieutenant colonel. In 2007, at the age of 86, he became a walking tour docent for the Placer County Museums. Before his death in 2017, he donated some of his uniforms and medals to the Placer County Museums. Riley is buried in the Old Auburn Cemetery. From our collection: Lt. Col. Bob Riley’s U.S. Air Force blue flight cap, c. 1959 Advisory committees and commissions Whether it’s representing your community or sharing your expertise on topics like agriculture or parks, there are always opportunities for you to help advise county leaders on the issues that matter to you most. Recruitment is open now to fill seats on the following committees or commissions, among others. Learn more and apply Current recruitments include: Area 4 Agency on Aging Advisory Council  Auburn Cemetery District  Building Board of Appeals Colfax Cemetery District  County Parks Commission  Economic Development Board First 5 Placer Children & Families Commission  Fish & Game Commission Flood Control & Water Conservation District Board  Gold Run Cemetery Committee  Greater Lincoln Area Fire Safe Council  Historical Advisory Board  Housing Development Advisory Taskforce  In Home Support Services Advisory Committee Juvenile Justice / Delinquency Prevention  Library Advisory Board Donner Summit Municipal Advisory Council  Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council  Horseshoe Bar-Penryn Municipal Advisory Council  Newcastle Ophir Municipal Advisory Council  Sheridan Municipal Advisory Council  Placer County Behavioral Health Advisory Board Placer County Charter Review Committee  Placer County Child Care Advisory Council  Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission  Placer Resource Conservation District  Placer Sierra Fire Safe Council  Planning Commission  Solid Waste Local Task Force  Tahoe Cemetery District  Wastewater Advisory Committee Fun things to do this week Don’t miss the fun coming this next week in... Rocklin: Storytime @ the Fire Station Rocklin Fire Department Auburn: Peaceful Winter Morning Hike at Big Hill Preserves, Take a Hike and Fly a Kite – an Open Preserve Day, Broom Battle!, Farmers’ Market North Lake Tahoe: Sierra Community House Food Distribution Kings Beach ...and many Placer County Library and Placer County Museum events. Visit our regional partners to discover more of the fun happening right here in Placer County! Placer County Visitors' Bureau North Tahoe Community Alliance Tahoe City Downtown Association The Arts Council of Placer County Placer Valley Tourism PlacerGROWN Placer Wine Trail Upcoming public meetings and events Foresthill Forum, Feb. 3, 7 p.m. Information Board of Supervisors, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. Information Virtual office hours - Firewise USA Program questions, Feb. 6, 9 a.m. Information To learn about other Placer County committees and commissions and current opportunities to serve your community click here. List of active projects throughout Placer County Projects are listed alphabetically and by Board of Supervisors districts. A hard copy of the list is available at the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, 3091 County Center Drive in Auburn.  Active Projects Click here to sign up for emergency notifications

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